$ 750-875 per hour
About Charles
Biography
Chaz Rainey advises clients in the film and television industry on matters related to: copyright litigation, financing, production, new media technologies, rights of publicity, defamation, trade secrets, trademarks, unfair competition and other transactional issues. An internationally recognized attorney, licensed in the practice of law in California, Nevada, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia, Chaz is an accomplished litigator (both trial and appellate), negotiator, and advocate.
He earned his undergraduate degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with highest honors, earned his juris doctorate cum laude from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics.
Chaz has served as lead counsel on over 200 cases in both state and federal court, with an emphasis on complex commercial disputes, often involving allegations of fraud, cross-border disputes and choice of law. He has first-chaired more than a dozen jury and bench trials, argued before federal and state appellate courts (including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals), argued before arbitrators, and even negotiated the settlement of investment disputes with sovereign governments.
He began his legal career as the in-house legal counsel to what is now William Hill North America -- the largest consolidated race and sports book operator in the United States. However, when Chaz first started with the company, it was a small startup without a single location. Chaz helped take the company from a simple idea into a fully-financed, multi-million dollar operation, with roughly twenty locations spread across Nevada, Delaware and St. Kitts.
While in law school, Chaz served as a legal extern in the Washington, D.C. office of then Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. He also served as a summer associate for the internationally renowned law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Entertainment
75%
19 years | 82 cases
International Law
25%
19 years | 11 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in New York for 12 years
State: New York
Acquired: 2013
No misconduct found
Licensed in California for 12 years
State: California
Acquired: 2013
No misconduct found
Licensed in District of Columbia for 16 years
State: District of Columbia
Acquired: 2009
No misconduct found
Licensed in Nevada for 17 years
State: Nevada
Acquired: 2008
No misconduct found
Licensed in Texas for 11 years
State: Texas
Acquired: 2014
No misconduct found
Location
Hamrick & Evans
2600 W. Olive Ave., Suite 1020, Burbank, CA, 91505
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Charles C. Rainey's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
12 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 1 of 1 review | Communication Style
Posted by Leslie | April 16, 2013 | Entertainment
Outshines LA Powerhouses any day in Entertainment Law
Chaz was probably one of the most enthusiastic lawyers I've ever worked with. And I am one! He represented me against some LA powerhouses in an entertainment litigation and just out-maneuvered and out-strategized them. He always let me know exactly where we stood and what was needed well in advanc...
Charles C. Rainey's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Chaz is a versatile attorney, highly skilled in complex civil litigation matters, and estate planning, and provides strategic solutions to his clients. Best of all, Chaz goes the extra mile for his clients, caring for them in a compassionate manner. I strongly endorse this attorney."
"Chaz understands the importance of persuasion, in addition to having mastered the mechanics and techniques of trial advocacy. I consult him often for his opinions and guidance. I give him my highest endorsement."
"Great lawyer; good with people; his MBA in addition to his law degree makes Chaz especially effective in representing businesses and business owners."
"Chaz is a brilliant attorney and I trust referring my clients' commercial litigation cases to him and his firm. He is pragmatic, dedicated and fights hard for his clients."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Chaz provides highly competent services relating to business development, asset protection, and complex civil litigation. Chaz is a skillful strategist in both the litigation and transactional areas. He is a champion of his clients’ interests and works diligently to obtain the best results possible in every case. I strongly endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. Chaz is our go-to guy for complex litigation and asset protection matters. If you need an attorney who knows litigation and who can be the aggressive litigation attorney one day and the contemplative asset protection attorney the next day, you need to look no further. --William"
"While Mr. Rainey is relatively new to Avvo, his comprehensive answers, which are accurate and customized to the individual needs of Avvo askers, are exactly the qualities that any potential client would be looking for in an attorney. Welcome to Avvo!"
"I endorse this lawyer."
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Experience
Honors
2018
Top Rated Attorney in Sports & Entertainment, SuperLawyers
2018
Rising Star, SuperLawyers
2018
Southern California Up and Coming Lawyer, Los Angeles Magazine
2017
Rising Star, SuperLawyers
2017
Top Rated Attorney in Sports & Entertainment, SuperLawyers
2014
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2013
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2011
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2010
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2007
IAGA Shannon Bybee Scholarship Award, International Association of Gaming Advisors
2007
Dean'sAward, William S. Boyd School of Law
2007
Best Brief - Regional, Nationals Moot Court
2007
Second Place - Regional, Nationals Moot Court
2006
Regional Placement, Jessup International Moot Court
Work Experience
2016 - Present
Partner, Hamrick & Evans
2008 - 2016
Managing Partner, Rainey Legal Group, PLLC
2007 - 2008
Legal Counsel, Brandywine Bookmaking LLC
2006 - 2006
Summer Associate, Greenberg Traurig
2005 - 2005
Legal Extern, United States Senate
2005 - 2006
Research Assistant, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School Of Law
1997 - 2001
Motion Picture Studio Mechanic (Grip/Electric), IATSE Local 487
Associations
2018 - Present
Bill Nye Science FoundationDirector
2014 - Present
UNLV Boyd School of Law Alumni AssociationBoard Member
2011 - Present
Society of Cincinatti - New Jersey ChapterMember
2007 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
2008 - 2018
State Bar of Nevada, Publications CommitteeChair, Vice Chair, Member
2008 - 2010
American Society of International LawMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Joan Celia Lee v. Stan Lee's Pow! Entertainment, Inc.
Obtained dismissal of case with prejudice, and Plaintiff sanctioned $1 million.
Bill Nye v. Walt Disney Corporation
Pending
Stover v. Mirror Images
Obtained compensatory and punitive damages award of nearly $2 million
Weiss v. Shaw
Limited the jury award to less than $17k
Anytime Fitness v. Stephen Benson
Overcame all attempts at injunctive relief; plaintiff voluntarily dismissed case.
Lacoste v. Akins
After 4 years of litigation, the Jury award was just over $100,000 (less than 10% of what the plaintiff was seeking)
Wilson v. Holder
After unsuccessful appeal to the Ninth Circuit and Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United Supreme Court, Supreme Court declined further review
Bigelow v. Stout Management et al.
$40,000 Arbitration Award; defendants sought appeal; ultimately settled
Durango Structures v. NV Fitness Management
Upon our motion, Court struck Plaintiff's complaint and awarded our client a $450,000 judgment for its counterclaims.
Anderson v. Reed
Non dischargeable judgment of more than $130,000 against Defendant Reed.
Harris et al. v. Geogrian LLC et al.
Defendants settled for confidential amount
Chmielewski v. Starpoint et al.
Defendant settled for confidential sum
Ahudi v. Dr. Peters et al
Judgment in favor of our client, the Plaintiff, in excess of $500,000
Gonzalez v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Settlement Approved just prior to trial
NV Capital Insurance v. Sun Italia et al.
Case settled just prior to trial; none of our clients were required to contribute to any part of the settlement
Hydro-Arch v. Arches & More et al.
After a successful round of negotiations plaintiff agreed to dismiss the case against our client and pay more than $100,000 in unpaid bonuses
Moctesuma Esparza v. Netflix et al.
Pending
Education
2015
London School of Economics and Political Science
LL.M - Master of Laws
2007
University of Nevada Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
2007
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
MBA - Masters in Business Administration
2002
University of California - Berkeley
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Publications
2009
Jus Gentium Quarterly
A Humanist Examination of the African Economic Community: Using Economic Integration to Combat Tyranny and Promote Human Rights
2008
Gaming Lawyer
Gaming Law in Legal Education: Gaming Law's Unexplored Opportunities in America's Law Schools
2007
Jus Gentium Quarterly Review
The African Court: Building a Continental Benchmark of Justice
2007
Jus Gentium
Vulture Funds Circle Over Africa
2007
Jus Gentium
Isreali Feminists Fight For Front Row Seats
2007
Jus Gentium
My Bombs Are Bigger Than Yours: Jaques Chirac Revives The Old Game Of "Mutual Assured Destruction"
2006
Jus Gentium
The Violent Legacy of the Second Congolese War Continues
2006
Jus Gentium
Despite Public Outcry, A Deal in Dubai Might Not Be So Bad
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Answers
Q&A
Would using a Marvel's Superhero's image on the cover of a musical album would infringe copyright?
08 Dec 2020
Q&A
Can I use photographs of album covers without copyright infringement?
07 Dec 2020
Q&A
I would like to copywright a catch phrase I’m going to use for T-shirt.How/Where do I start
08 May 2018